Kevin McHale will be taking a leave of absence from the team effective immediately, according to a team release.

The absence is family-related, which always makes these types of situations that much more sensitive.

From the official release:

Houston Rockets Head Coach Kevin McHale will be taking an immediate leave of absence from the team to attend to a personal family matter. Assistant Coach Kelvin Sampson will handle head coaching duties during McHale’s time away. No return date has been set for McHale at this time.

“Kevin is a devoted family man who is needed back home in Minnesota at the moment,” said Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey. “The Rockets organization will keep Kevin and his family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

The Rockets have been a lot more interesting to watch in the early stages of the season, thanks mainly to the trade that brought James Harden to town to play alongside offseason acquisition Jeremy Lin in the team’s backcourt. Houston currently sits at 2-3 in the Southwest Division standings.

We join the Rockets organization in sending nothing but positive wishes out to McHale and his family.